Female general leads NATO's Bosnia headquarters
By FAITH HARRON
Bismarck Tribune via Associated Press
Published: January 17, 2016
BISMARCK, N.D. — Ever since Giselle Wilz was young, she wanted to be a general. That dream came true when she was offered the opportunity to be commander of the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
A typical NATO commander deals with politics regarding the structure and training of armed forces in the country, as well as visiting soldiers and overseeing operations. Wilz is the first female to ever hold this type of position anywhere in the world.
"As someone who wants to be a general, you sit on a bench and put your name in for various jobs," Wilz told the Bismarck Tribune (
http://bit.ly/2017m4r ). "I put my name in for (NATO commander) and back in February they ended up calling me."
Though Wilz knew it was a possibility the job would be offered, she was still surprised, excited and anxious when it happened.
"The call meant an opportunity to do something I've never done before, something outside of North Dakota," Wilz said. "My reaction was really quick. I didn't even have to think about it when I said yes."
Wilz's family knew that her name had been offered for this position, said younger sister Gwen Beckler, but the two miss each other while they're apart.
"It was a bittersweet moment, because our family is very close," Beckler said. "But we were excited she could be able to fulfill her dream ... I think this opportunity is beyond what she imagined. She is experiencing worlds she would never have in Bismarck. As her family, we're so incredibly proud and continue to support her."
Wilz was promoted May 21 and left for Bosnia May 25. Since then, her duties have been varied and she says no day is quite the same.
"My primary job is defense reform," Wilz said. "It's about professionalizing the Ministry of Defense and the (Bosnian) army ... I can do everything from going to visit soldiers to working with NATO ambassadors on politics in a day."
She said being the first female to fill this position is a tribute to U.S. progress in gender equality.
"Now we bring the rest of the world along," Wilz said. "It is all about providing opportunities to be qualified, and building the credentials and experience required to be successful."
Wilz, who also is a brigadier general in the North Dakota Army National Guard, has had opportunities for leadership throughout her military career. Her previous assignment as the Guard's chief of staff has commonalities with her current position, she said.
"There's a lot of similarities because you do a lot of 'firefighting,'" Wilz said, referring to negotiating solutions and dealing with people.
When she walked into a conference her first day, some of the military commanders were a little shocked. They had heard that they would have a female commander but were surprised that she had actually come. However, shock soon turned to camaraderie.
"We were having a little shooting competition," Wilz said. "There were about 15 to 20 other generals, and I came in second in pistol and fifth in rifle, and that really helped break barriers. That was when they realized I'm just a soldier, like them."
She says that although Sarajevo is a different city with a different language and a different environment, the civilians are still just people.
"We all have more in common than what separates us," Wilz said. "People of different religions and ethnic backgrounds have been getting along for thousands of years previously. Just 20 years ago, in this region, people were fighting with each other. Now, it's really about understanding and tolerance."
As a member of the Guard for 30 years, Wilz said she knows the history of that organization and has grown up with the people. Bosnia offers a new dynamic.
"Now I realize I've got a lot to learn, every day. It's very intellectually stimulating," she said. "You have to really be present in every conversation or you'll miss something."
Three months ago, she says she wasn't nearly as comfortable talking and listening, but now everything is more natural.
"I think it's really incredible. I've gotten to meet the people, the average people ... the folks who want their kids to have better lives than them, who want something more for them, just like us," Wilz said. "I've gone to some military send-offs, where they're deploying soldiers to Afghanistan, and I watch the families have the same anxieties and same fears as military families (in North Dakota), but also the same pride, that their sons and daughters are serving something bigger than themselves."
In her job, she works closely with non-governmental organizations as well, including multinational partner programs, on topics ranging from gender diversity to promoting democracy and building leadership. When Wilz travels, she enjoys speaking at universities across Bosnia, talking about community and transparency.
"I think we take things for granted when we look through our own lens, our American lens, and I know my own is red, white and blue," Wilz said. "But you have to look through the lens of the culture and where you're operating, from a human perspective."
http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/female-general-leads-nato-s-bosnia-headquarters-1.389193
